How Old A Boat Is Appropriate?

Just A Mom

Just A Mom

Member
Hello! I am new here. And, as my username implies, I am just a "Mom" doing some research on a boat purchase for my son.

We are specifically looking for a Laser Radial.

He was supposed to get his CanSail IV this year (and he did!) but he was also invited to train with the race team (the CanSail V and VI kids). So, long story made short, he was supposed to train on 420s this summer but because he was placed with the race team he sailed a Laser Radial. So.....now we are in the market for a boat!

Okay, questions.......

We are looking at a complete Laser Radial with a boat date/year of 1986. It comes complete with dolly and new sails and new performance rigging for $3100. My other question is can a boat of this year be upgraded with newer Laser gear if needed?

Is there any other advice you would impart?

Thanks in advance.
 
Sure, but further upgrading won't be needed for some time if the boat is as advertised.
The major issues to watch out for is whether the boat is dry and whether the mast step is OK.

The Radial will be a good choice for your son!
 
Wavedancer said:
Sure, but further upgrading won't be needed for some time if the boat is as advertised.
The major issues to watch out for is whether the boat is dry and whether the mast step is OK.

The Radial will be a good choice for your son!
Click to expand...

Okay, so another question. Someone I was talking to said that some boats get "soft" at the hull if they are old. How much stock should I put into this with concern to this particular boat?

The last six weeks has offered me quite an education in sailboats. LOL! But I still seem to have a million questions.
 
Just A Mom said:
We are looking at a complete Laser Radial with a boat date/year of 1986. It comes complete with dolly and new sails and new performance rigging for $3100. My other question is can a boat of this year be upgraded with newer Laser gear if needed?

Is there any other advice you would impart?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Don't know your location but $3100 for a 30 yrs old laser seems like a very high price.
Look at the for sale ads in this forum to get an idea of pricing. I bought my 1988 laser in 2011 for $1000, including road trailer.
Good luck.
E
 
CAD 3100 is about 2100 €, which I wouldn't expect to get if I sold my 1990 boat. I guess the seller wants compensation for the new sails and other upgrades. But it doesn't really work that way - it's still a 30-year-old hull no matter what extras you might get with it.
Just A Mom said:
... can a boat of this year be upgraded with newer Laser gear if needed?
Click to expand...
Yes. The great thing about the Laser is that a boat of any age can be quite easily updated. All new parts are designed to fit in the old positions.
Just A Mom said:
Someone I was talking to said that some boats get "soft" at the hull if they are old. How much stock should I put into this with concern to this particular boat?
Click to expand...
This is something that varies considerably from hull to hull. Of course, the older the boat is, the more abuse it has possibly seen, not just from sailing but also transportation, freeze/thaw cycles etc. I'd ask about the boat's history, and if possible get an experienced Laser sailor to manually/visually check the hull for soft spots & cracks.
I still seem to have a million questions.
Click to expand...
Keep them coming.
 
Emilio Castelli said:
Don't know your location but $3100 for a 30 yrs old laser seems like a very high price.
Look at the for sale ads in this forum to get an idea of pricing. I bought my 1988 laser in 2011 for $1000, including road trailer.
Good luck.
E
Click to expand...

Thank you. Yes, looking around I do see, now that it's a bit high. We will keep looking.
 
Okay, another question.....

My son is 16 yrs old and 135 pounds. His race team uses Laser Radial so we would like a Radial. But, due to his size, and how teenagers sprout up, should we just buy a full rig Laser if we come across one at a good price and then outfit it with the Radial lower mast and sail or should we just look for a Radial with all the Radial kit already on it?
 
If he's going to keep sailing, he will definitely need both. I say buy whatever boat is the best deal, then purchase whatever rig he needs. If you have to outright buy a Radial rig, you should be able to sell it on its own at a later date if needed.

I would not let a good opportunity on a boat pass up because it didn't have a Radial rig.
 
Just A Mom said:
should we just buy a full rig Laser if we come across one at a good price and then outfit it with the Radial lower mast and sail or should we just look for a Radial with all the Radial kit already on it?
Click to expand...
Get a good hull first, then get a good rig that suits the sailor's size. If they come in the same package, fine. If not, you need to do some more shopping but that shouldn't be a big problem. (I guess torrid just said the same...)

So your son is 61 kg (which is on the low side for the Radial) but how tall is he, and is he growing still?
 
LaLi said:
Get a good hull first, then get a good rig that suits the sailor's size. If they come in the same package, fine. If not, you need to do some more shopping but that shouldn't be a big problem. (I guess torrid just said the same...)

So your son is 61 kg (which is on the low side for the Radial) but how tall is he, and is he growing still?
Click to expand...

Yes, he's still growing. He's very lean but fit so he doesn't weigh much for his age. He's about 5 foot 7 or 8ish. It has to be a Radial as that is what his sailing school sails and all the regattas they enter around here (including the Ontario Summer Games and the Olympic Trials) are for the Radial class.
 
Ok, that means he'll be a good size for the Standard rig in a couple of years - tall, lean and at least 75 kg. So if you get one with the boat now, he'll have use for it fairly soon.
 
If his friends grow and switch from Radial to Standard, I guarantee he will start putting on weight just so he can keep sailing with them.
 
What are your thoughts on ads that read "boat has been inside and unused for X number of years"? Usually the amount of years is 5-10. Now, besides the obvious that we don't really know if it's true, the question I am asking is does it do any harm to the boat to not have been used for a number of years sitting in storage?
 
Stored inside means not exposed to weather and that generally means less opportunity for rot, water logging foam, UV damage to the finish and generally less degrading due to aging compared to one stored outdoors (even inverted)

So if its true... it SHOULD mean less is needed to get the boat back in service.
 
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